Zach to join Ryan Reynolds in R.I.P.D adaptation of Dark Horse comic

By IBT Staff Reporter On 02/03/11 AT 10:06 AM

The Hangover star, Zach Galifianaksi is in talks to star in a film adaptation of the Dark Horse comic RIPD with Ryan Reynolds who may play the lead .

R.I.P.D. follows the members of the Rest in Peace Department, a team of deceased divine law enforcement officers in their battle against evil. Published in 2000, R.I.P.D. was written by Peter Lenkov with art by Lucas Marangon.

The leader of the group Nick Cruz was murdered by an unknown assailant at the height of his personal and professional life. He becomes a part of R.I.P.D to find out who killed him , in exchange he has to serve on the ghostly force for a 100 years. Unfortunately his search will take him to Hell and back -- literally!

The plans to devlope this film were on from 2008 with Universal going into partnership with the publishers, Dark Horse. But only recently the project gained momentum with possibilities of Ryan Reynolds to be cast as Nick and a director being found.

Robert Schwentke of Red fame will direct and it will be scripted by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi who have earlier written Clash of the Titans. Zach will be playing a gunslinger who partners Nick Cruz.

There are reports that Ryan Reynolds is not completely committed to the movie as he is supposed to do another movie, Deadpool, and he has said he will do only one . Speaking in a recent interview with MTV Splash Page, Dark Horse president Mike Richardson could neither confirm nor deny anything, although he was very positive about Reynolds , he had this to say, We approached him and he seemed to like it a lot at the beginning, he said. As it's developed, he's been very interested in the project, and he's a great choice for the role if you've read the graphic novel. I think we have a really great movie in the works.